In my experience, yes, it melts fine. If you leave the sauce around at room temperature, it does separate, but heating and stirring again brings it back around. I use the store-brand version of Cracker Barrel cheese, not farmstead cheddar or anything fancy. -Anne

Hi all, Sorry for the delay, but I had no idea our mac & cheese was so much in demand. ;) We're very fond of this recipe, but I must warn you that it's really nothing like the boxed kind...the sauce has more body and thickness. Also, we're snobs here in New England about orange cheese, so I always use white cheddar - but there's no reason you couldn't use the orange. In any case, our kiddo has the opposite problem from most of yours: she loves this mac & cheese, but won't eat the blue box stuff or even Annie's natural kind. Hope you enjoy! -Anne Mac & Cheese adapted by Anne Campbell from Jacques Pepin 1 lb. penne or other short pasta 1 tsp. butter 1/2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. flour 1 1/4 cups milk 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, diced 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 plum tomato, cut into small dice (optional) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the penne and boil until al dente, firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour with a whisk and stir for about 10 seconds, then add the milk, whisking it in so it doesn't scorch. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for 10 seconds. Add the cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste, and stir over low heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened. Mix the pasta with the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan and tomato (if desired) on top. An optional step is to place the mac & cheese under the broiler until brown. You can also assemble it ahead of time and bake in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Another optional step: This dish is a great way to sneak in extra vegetables. Just add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pureed cooked cauliflower, zucchini, white beans, or any other light-colored vegetable to the sauce at the same time that you add the cheddar, and it will be completely unnoticeable by kids or adults. The book The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals, by Missy Chase Lapine, has lots of ideas and recipes for these kinds of tricks.

Hi all, This is not one of those earth-shattering questions, but I've been wondering if there's any viable alternative to the standard vinyl/plastic shower curtain liners. One of our cats thinks vinyl is very, very tasty, and he usually eats about an 18-inch square off the corner of every new liner we buy. This gets old fast. Has anyone tried any earthy, crunchy fabric alternatives? And do they work? We do have a cotton canvas outer shower curtain, but it's too thin to be a waterproof layer. Thanks much - Anne

I know I don't have to explain much, because most of you already know my husband and that he's the best ever. ;) But I was thinking yesterday about when he had his gall bladder surgery last spring. I left him with the surgeon and anesthesiologist just as he was about to go under, and when I went back the waiting room, I had the strangest, strangest feeling. It was like...part of me was switched off. Because he was unconscious, it was like there was "radio silence" from his psyche, so the part of me that's permanently connected with him was unplugged. I'm not normally the type of person to get all woo-woo and metaphysical, so it took me completely by surprise. Different traditions say that marriage is one soul in two bodies, or that the couple becomes one flesh, or that our soul mate is our other half. I never realized how much that was true for us, or how much I take it for granted, until it was temporarily out of commission. We've been married for ten years, one month, and three days. He *is* my best friend, he makes me want to be a better person, and I can't imagine life without him any more than I can imagine living without my heart beating inside me. -Anne

This is Drew's wife, Anne. Thank you all SO much for all the prayers and good thoughts. He and the kiddo ended up renting a car and going to school today, just to have some normalcy, and they're doing fine, all things considered. We have alerted the insurance people and they're going to make their decision at some unknown time, so I'd appreciate your P&PT for that whole process as well! Luckily we have one friend who's a car expert, one who used to be a state cop, and one who just had her own car totaled, so we have lots of good people to lean on and give advice. Also luckily, we haven't had any expensive maintenance done on the car recently. :) And best of all, my family is fine and not injured. Thanks again - Anne

Many people have mentioned Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller...I put these in the category of "books where the dog dies," and after having suffered through several in school for educational purposes, I refuse to subject my child to them! The one that always gets me is not very well-known, but it's SO beautiful: Mary's First Christmas by Walter Wangerin, Jr. It's the story of Jesus's birth but told in a different way - by Mary, telling the story to Jesus when he's a little boy. (The illustrations are wonderful, too - it's one of the rare books that actually shows Jesus and his friends and family looking like Middle Eastern Jews, not like Nordic blonds.) There's a foreshadowing of his future life at the very end, which undoes me completely, but I'm choked up basically from page one. As soon as J. could read, I quit even trying to read it aloud. He has another called Peter's First Easter that I haven't even attempted! -Anne

The Arnold Arboretum is absolutely gorgeous. I only had a temp job there for a week or two in college, but what a place to take a lunch break! It's enormous, but not a rigidly planned sort of garden - definitely a place where kids could run around and have fun. Plus, it's a straight shot on the T from there to downtown Boston (the Orange Line), so you could easily combine it with a visit to the city if you wanted. Have fun, whatever you choose!

I've known people who have a policy that they will lend books, but that the borrower needs to write them a check for the full value, which the lender will hang on to. When the book is returned, the lender tears up the check. I haven't had the chutzpah to try that myself, but have always filed it away for future reference! -Anne

I don't know - I was reading the police blotter in our small-town newspaper yesterday, and an item of interest was: "5/7, 4:40 p.m. - Child with Lego stuck inside nose reported from Bug Hill Rd. residence. Patient transported." I love it that this is what our town considers newsworthy! (Another favorite item was: "Brush fire flared up on East Buckland Rd. Owner extinguished.") -Anne (wife of Drew/Plaid Dad)

Miss J, when she was about 2, asked every morning for "toas - creancheese - toas - che-cheese" (toast with cream cheese and melted cheddar). As a younger baby, she said "kack" to mean "more" or "again." I still have no idea where that came from! "Fick" was "music," and it took us a while of watching her point emphatically at the stereo before we figured that out. Best of all: as a toddler, she was a little unclear on the distinction between "me" and "you" and how those shift depending on the speaker. When she was tired of walking, she would hold up her arms and say "Carry you!" And when she was frightened, she'd bury her face in our chest and say soothingly, "I got you." -Anne (wife of Drew/Plaid Dad)

Congratulations! Just a quick note to ask if you've looked into tongue-tie - some babies have a short or tight frenulum that prevents them from latching on deeply. If this is the case with baby Atticus, a quick procedure in the pediatrician's office may make nursing a lot easier. Enjoy the little guy! -Anne P.S. Congratulations from me, too! - Drew/Plaid Dad (on dw's account)

We've had very good luck with Target shoes for our 6yo daughter. They have a very good selection, VERY good prices, and we've never once had a pair wear out before they were outgrown. In fact, she has worn pairs of $6 sneakers every day for a full spring-summer-fall, and then we've passed them along in decent condition to another kid. If you're talking about dress shoes, as you say, how often do they get worn? And is anyone really going to inspect them to see if they're real leather? Many a pair of fake patent leather Mary Janes has passed our doorstep. ;) Now, J. doesn't have problem feet, and she isn't terrifically hard on shoes, but even accounting for that, I think they're very decent. -Anne

Sometimes, but often, it's not as big a deal as you think. Some babies poop more often than others, and you get used to your own baby's schedule. When they're in the newborn, poop-after-every-feeding stage, at least the poops are pretty inoffensive and can often be thrown in the laundry without even rinsing. When they're older and eating solids, they get on a more regular schedule, so you know when to predict it, and it's also easier to just toss the solids in the toilet (including in a public bathroom). With J., we carried a heavy-duty nylon drawstring bag in the diaper backpack. At home, we'd just undo the drawstring and dump the diapers in the pail or the washer. Also, like many adults and older kids, she tended to have her daily BM at home, so after the first few months, it was seldom an issue at all. We seldom forgot to empty the bag, and the few times that it did happen, there were no casualties. ;) I'm on a mission to let people know that cloth diapers are not half as much of a pain in the neck as you think they're going to be! For us, they were just another load of laundry. You're already going to wash her clothes, bibs, blankets, burp cloths, crib linens (if you use a crib), and whatever she spits up or lands other bodily fluids on, anyway! And when faced with the choice that's far cheaper, better for the planet, and better for the baby, it was a real no-brainer for our family. -Anne

Hi all, As a mother of an only child who was an only child herself, I'm at a bit of a loss. Our daughter J. is 6 3/4, and we still brush her teeth, wash her hair, and brush her hair for her. (She has straight, chin-length hair.) At this age, do most kids do these self-care tasks themselves? I remember that my parents still washed my hair until I was about ten, but that seems awfully old! Thanks for any insight. -Anne

...went very well! This is his wife Anne reporting. He's bidden his gall bladder a not-so-fond farewell, and he's resting comfortably at the hospital. Interestingly enough, the only bed they could find for him is in the OB unit, so he's in a postpartum room! This actually worked out well, because as a birth doula, I'm very familiar with the unit and was able to get him everything he needed. He also has one of my favorite labor and delivery nurses. :) If all goes well, he should be home tomorrow, and probably back to his grueling schedule of WTM posts. ;) Thanks for all your good wishes and prayers! -Anne